Director s Message. Inside this issue: Volume 4, Issue 1 Spring 2011

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1 Volume 4, Issue 1 Spring 2011 Dedicated to reducing the occurrence, severity and adverse consequences of injuries in the Rocky Mountain Region Director s Message CICRC Bicycle Safety Program: Inside this issue: Director s Message 1 CICRC Project Updates Focus on a Community Partner: Kim Sharpe Bicycle and Pedestrian Education Coalition Focus on a Community Partner: David Kemp CSU Becomes a Bicycle Friendly University In 1999 there were two bicycle-related deaths in Larimer County. Both individuals were hit by cars and neither was wearing a bicycle helmet. As a result, CICRC Associates began a concerted effort to address bicycle safety in Larimer County, Colorado. The goal of the bike safety program is to increase the use of helmets and improve bike safety. Activities undertaken in , included: developing a list of ordinances related to bicycle helmet use; a televised community forum; mapping bicycle-motor vehicle citations/injuries in Ft Collins; community educational programs and events; a newspaper OP-ED article; and 3 informational sessions with Ft Collins City Council urging them to consider a bicycle helmet ordinance. In 2004, an observational study was conducted to estimate the percentage of bicycle riders (48% of riders) wearing helmets. Due to the lack of success with the City Council, we conducted a Community Readiness Survey in Larimer County to assess the community readiness to engage in increasing bicycle helmet use through prevention programs. In the survey we reported that awareness about the importance of bicycle helmet use in the community did not correlate with personal use of a helmet. Further, we identified college students as a high risk group for not using bicycle helmets. Lorann Stallones To better understand attitudes and behavior related to bicycle helmet use among college students, another study was conducted, and we discovered that the reason students were riding bicycles was associated with helmet use: only 9% of those riding for commuting purposes wore a helmet every time while 36% of those who were riding for recreational purposes wore a helmet every time. Further, students who grew up in bicycle friendly communities were more likely to wear bicycle helmets consistently. Among students from families with higher perceived norms toward bicycle helmet use, more consistent use of helmets was reported, but even among these students there was a decreasing trend in helmet use during junior high and high school years. In this newsletter you will read about the current activities CICRC Associates and Community Partners have been engaged in over the past two years. 1

2 Volume 4, Issue 1 CICRC Spring Newsletter 2010 International Update In June, 2011, Dr. Cheryl Beseler, CICRC Associate, will attend a joint conference of the International Neurotoxicology Association and the International Congress of Occupational Health in Xi An China to present work on the relationship between pesticide poisoning, depressive symptoms, safety behaviors, and injuries. In July, 2011, Dr. Lorann Stallones and colleagues will conduct the 5 th Annual USA-China Agricultural Injury Research Training in Hanzhou, China. This is the final year of a five year project funded by NIH Fogarty International Center that will culminate in a Symposium where previous and current trainees will present the research they have conducted on agricultural injuries over the project period. RamCycle - Colorado State University There are approximately 29,000 students, faculty, and staff commuting to the CSU campus daily, and many of those students walk, drive, or bicycle to their daily classes. Around 32% of students commute by bike which is approximately 8,500 students and 22% of faculty commute equaling around 300 faculty members. Even if students or faculty members do not ride a bicycle to campus, they are very likely to interact with cyclists on the road. In a recently released bicycle crash report published by the City of Fort Collins, the city noted a 14.5% increase in bicycle crashes in 2008 compared to the previous three year average. The city compiled demographic information on bicyclists from , and found that the two age groups with the highest rate of bicycle crashes were ages (20.3%) and (23.1%). These groups encompass the student population at CSU, presenting a need for bicycle injury prevention among this population. 1st RamCycle Pilot Project: In order to help reduce the number of students in bicycle crashes the RamCycle course was created. This pilot project helped educate incoming freshman students about bicycle safety in order to stop dangerous bicycling behavior and lead them to be safer on their bicycles or in their cars for the duration of their studies at CSU, and hopefully, the rest of their lives. 2nd RamCycle Pilot Project: The second RamCycle goal was the same as the previous course, but used a different format. This project used a Train the Trainer model. As part of the pilot study, one residence hall was part of the RamCycle program in spring Each Resident Advisor (RA) within this hall received training on basic bicycle safety topics. With facilitation from the CSU Campus Bicycle Advisory Committee and the Colorado Injury Control Research Center, each RA will present this information to students in the residence hall using the provided information and kit. The goal for this project is to increase participation from students and create a sustainable program. 2

3 Volume 4, Issue 1 CICRC Spring Newsletter 2010 Focus on a Community Partner: Interview with Kim Sharpe Kim Sharpe graduated with a bachelor s of science degree in political science from the University of Colorado-Denver, but she completed most of her undergraduate work at Colorado State University. Sharpe planned to attend law school and practice corporate law. When she began an internship with the Education Commission of the States (ECS), a national nonprofit education policy organization headquartered in Denver, her plans changed. Sharpe first worked as a research assistant collecting data about math and science graduation requirements in all 50 states, which she said was a bit ironic because those were the two subjects she did not gravitate towards. So when there was an opening in ECS communications department, she moved down the hall to begin what would become a 25-year career in public and media relations. As ECS public relations officer, Sharpe successfully garnered media coverage about ECS initiatives from national media outlets such as Good Morning America, The New York Times, USA Today and National Public Radio. One of the highlights of her work was meeting and developing publicity materials about Rhode Island Senator Claiborne Pell for his receipt of a lifetime achievement award. Senator Pell sponsored the legislation that established Basic Educational Opportunity Grants, later named Pell Grants in honor of the Senator. It was very special to meet Senator Pell because I received several Pell Grants, without which a college education might not have been affordable for me, says Sharpe. to health care, preventing teen and unplanned pregnancies, and making bicycling and walking safer transportation options for more people. She also oversees and manages HCC s Snapshot website which is a searchable, electronic source of statistics and information about the health and well-being of Larimer County s kids. Kim Sharpe Additionally, Sharpe uses her communication skills and experience to develop and implement HCC s marketing and public relations strategies; manage HCC s website and social marketing sites; and produce the NEWS from HCC, an e-newsletter that reaches over 1,200 readers throughout Larimer and Weld counties twice a month. And when it comes to fundraising for HCC, Sharpe takes the lead in that also by writing grants and partnering with HCC s Sustainability Committee to cultivate business sponsors who help support HCC s work. Basically, Sharpe embodies HCC s tagline Connecting the Community for Kids. In 2003, Sharpe left her position at ECS to take a job closer to home (she lived in Fort Collins and commuted to Denver). That is when she became the coordinator of the Healthier Communities Coalition of Larimer County (HCC). In this role, Sharpe is a communicator, plus a relationship broker, networker, convener, facilitator and capacity builder for the family and youth service providers throughout Larimer County. For more information about HCC, visit its website at Like HCC on Facebook ( healthylarimer); and follow HCC on Twitter (@healthylarimer). Contact Sharpe directly at or krs4@pvhs.org. When a child- or youth-related issue arises in our community that requires a coordinated response to bring about change, HCC often is called upon to lead that process, explains Sharpe. The initiatives Sharpe currently leads focus on the medical home approach 3

4 Volume 4, Issue 1 CICRC Spring Newsletter 2010 Bicycle and Pedestrian Education Coalition: Educating the Community About How to Share the Road Taking a crash course in bicycling and pedestrian safety is not recommended. That s why there s a new community group educating people about how to walk and cycle more safely, while encouraging them to use these alternative modes of transportation more often. The Bicycle and Pedestrian Education Coalition (BPEC) also focuses on motorists, because the group wants to reduce the number of crashes that occur between motor vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians by raising awareness about how to safely share the road. BPEC offers educational presentations tailored for kids and families, employees of businesses and seniors. The group also helps implement the Safe Routes to School curriculum in Poudre School District; maintains a calendar of local bicycling and walking-related activities and events, plus a webpage with relevant information (healthylarimer.org/bpec.shtml); helps implement Fort Collins newly adopted Bicycle Safety Education Plan; and supports the City of Loveland in developing a more robust bicycling and walking culture, and in forms the development of its Pedestrian and Bicycle Education Plan. BPEC consists of representation from Bike Fort Collins, Boys & Girls Clubs of Larimer County, City of Fort Collins, City of Fort Collins Police Department, City of Loveland, CSU Colorado Injury Control Research Center, CSU Police Department, Fort Collins Bicycle Co-op, Fort Collins Cycling Club, Loveland Pedal Club, Poudre School District, PVHS Ambulance Service, Safe Kids Larimer County and Thompson School District. It is facilitated by the Healthier Communities Coalition of Larimer County (healthylarimer.org; facebook.com/ healthylarimer; For more information about BPEC, visit its webpage at bpec.shtml. To schedule a bicycle and/or pedestrian safety presentation, contact Kim Sharpe, HCC and BPEC coordinator; or krs4@pvhs.org. BPEC members at a recent meeting. 4

5 Volume 4, Issue 1 CICRC Spring Newsletter 2010 Focus on a Community Partner: Interview with David Kemp David DK Kemp is originally from St. Louis, Missouri, and he moved to Colorado in 1993 to work as a youth outdoor activities counselor for the Estes Park YMCA. After the summer he spent working and playing in the Rocky Mountains, he was sold on Colorado, and he eventually found himself at Colorado State University (CSU) in Fort Collins. While pursuing his undergraduate degree in Natural Resources, Recreation, and Tourism with an emphasis in the Environment and Communication, he worked part-time at Lee s Cyclery where he developed his passion for bicycles. Upon graduating in 1999, he took a position at New Belgium Brewing as their Special Events Director. In this position he helped develop Tour de Fat, a traveling bike festival that promotes the positive societal offerings of the bicycle, and he spent four years travelling the United States sharing this message. During this time, he was emerged in the bike culture and realized that he wanted to work to make communities bike friendly. After leaving his position at New Belgium in 2004, DK had the opportunity to spend three months on a bicycle tour of Western Europe and this was a big inspiration for the work he does today. In 2006, DK returned to Colorado to become the Bicycle Coordinator for the City of Fort Collins. He works as a liaison to the public on all bicyclerelated issues in the city. This job provides him with the opportunity to work with all departments within the city including the police department, natural areas, parks & recreation, and the communication department. His goal is to grow the number of cyclists in Fort Collins, give them appropriate skills, and work with community partners to accomplish this. He is responsible for writing and planning bike safety education and encouragement plans, funding research, grant writing, responding to citizens issues and ideas, and much more. In addition to working with city departments, he also has the responsibility to connect with local organizations interested in promoting the use of bicycles. He has collaborated with the Bicycle and Pedestrian Education Coalition, the Northern Colorado Cycling Events Group, the CSU Campus Bicycle Advisory Committee, the Fort Collins Bike Wise program, and the Northern Colorado Bicycle Retailer Alliance on a variety of bicycle-related programs and events within the community. He believes that cycling creates livable neighborhoods by providing both social and environmental benefits. Cycling allows people to have a healthier outlook on life, and one less car on the road means less congestion and air pollution which benefits the environment. In the future, DK would like to try his hand at creating cycling films and documentaries. He would use his communication background to use video to convey messages, thoughts, feelings, and emotions around bicycling. This format would allow him to share his passion for bicycles with a larger audience further promoting his desire to make all communities bicycle friendly. To learn more about bicycle-related activities in Fort Collins, please visit the city s bicycling home page at Contact David DK Kemp directly at or dakemp@fcgov.com. David Kemp 5

6 Colorado Injury Control Research Center Colorado State University 1879 Campus Delivery Fort Collins, CO Phone: (970) Fax: (970) Visit our website at: psy.psych.colostate.edu/ CICRC/index.asp Follow us on Facebook to learn more about CICRC activities and upcoming events!! CSU Becomes a Bicycle Friendly University "In Fort Collins bicycling is a way of life!" That may be the best way to describe this city, which has been a Bicycle Friendly Community since 2003 and continues to grow and support the cycling culture. Currently, Fort Collins is designated a Gold Level Bicycle Friendly Community, which is one of the highest designations that a community can receive. The award recognizes the city s efforts in creating an environment that encourages safe cycling both as recreation and alternative transportation. A major component of the cycling environment in Fort Collins is Colorado State University (CSU). There is not a time during the day where you will not see students, faculty, and staff commuting through and around campus. In fact, there are around 15,000 bicyclists on campus every day. With such a large number of bicyclists, the city, CSU, and passionate cyclists created a grass roots organization called the Campus Bicycle Advisory Committee (CBAC). This committee helps create and maintain the bicycle-friendly atmosphere at CSU. CBAC works to ensure that cyclist issues are addressed and that all new projects, programs, and enforcements or regulations consider the cycling population. The committee is a diverse group made up of members from law enforcement, student government, the city and regional government staff, CSU planning, transportation departments and facility services, health and wellness organizations, housing and resident life, the CSU cycling team and students. These members represent the many constituencies that are vital for promoting safe cycling and a bicycle-friendly campus. CBAC works on many projects to encourage students to commute using their bikes. Projects include cyclist education programs, commuter promotion programs, creation of campus-specific bicycle maps, and the Student on the CSU campus. development and maintenance of bicyclefriendly infrastructure. This dedication to cycling led the CBAC to apply for the first Bicycle Friendly University award. Similar to the Bicycle Friendly Community award, this designation recognizes universities throughout the United States that are exemplary in promoting and encourage cycling. CSU has been designated a Silver Level Bicycle Friendly University and is one of only a few universities in the country to achieve this ranking. The CBAC applied for Bicycle Friendly University designation with the help of the Colorado Injury Control Research Center. Graduate students, Brenna Wozniak and Lorin Scott-Okerblom worked to fill out the application and address cycling issues throughout the campus. Wozniak and Scott -Okerblom also helped to develop the Ramcycle bicycle safety program which is also featured in this newsletter. The Ramcycle program was a key component of the Bicycle Friendly University application and helped CSU achieve the high level award. The Silver Level award demonstrates the commitments of CSU CBAC and many other campus departments to support cyclists on campus and throughout the community. 6